Railway signal apparatus.



G. JACKSON, JR. RAILWAY SIGNAL APPARATUS. APPLICATION FILED JULY 11, 1913.

1,1 00,243. Patented June .16, 1914.. 2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

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I ATTORNEY.

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G. JACKSON, JR. RAILWAY SIGNAL APPARATUS. APPLICATION FILED JULY 11, 1913.

Patented June 16, 1914.

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Gay/ya Jae WITNESSES COLUMBIA MIAMI G7 'Alllm D. C

UNITED STATEELIENT OFFICE.

GEORGE JACKSON, JR., OF HOI-IOKUS, NEW JERSEY.

RAILWAY SIGNAL APPARATUS.

To all who-m it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE JACKSON, Jr., a citizen of the United States, residing at Hohokus, in the county of Bergen and State signed especially for use in automatically signifying the approach of a car or train to a crossing.

As herein shown and described my invention has been developed for use particularly in connection with single-track railway systems in which the trafiic moves both ways, but it will be understood that in certain respects the invention, or parts thereof, may be applied to double track railways. In the adaptation shown and described there are provided, with the signal and a suitable energy source, two signal-circuit establishing contacts arranged at suitable distances from and on opposite sides of the crossing and between them, as at or near the crossing, a signal-circuit-disestablishing contact; each of the first two contacts on acting causes the energizing of a magnet whose armature is a switch that on being moved by the magnet is held in a position to maintain the signal in operation for a suitable length of time, and in order that after a car, in passing one of the signal-circuit-establishing contacts and then the signal-circuit-disestablishing contact, has first set and later terminated the signal it may not again set the signal on reaching the other or distant signal-circuit-establishing contact, the latter is protected by means for neutralizing said magnet, to wit, by a contact that closes a circuit for holding the switch out of the influence of said magnet, the latter contact being interposed between the signal-circuit-disestablishing contact and the distant signal-circuit-establishin contact; finally, relatively beyond the distant signal-circuit establishing contact is placed another contact that thereupon neutralizes said means, to wit, by closing a circuit for breaking the last-named circuit and restoring the parts to stain guo. In this adaptation, further, the holding of the switch in the first instance in the position to maintain the sig- Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed July 11, 1913.

Patented June 16, 1914.

Serial No. 7755,511.

nal in operation and in the second instance in the position out of the influence of the magnet first above-mentioned is accomplished by a magnet whose circuit the switch (its own armature), by contacting with its core, closes. These two (the first and lastmentioned magnets) I may form as one mechanical structure, there being two windings for a single core.

In said drawings, Figure 1 is an isometric view showing my invention applied to an electric railway system and Fig. 2 is a diagram of the improved apparatus, while Fig. 3 is a diagrammatic view of a part of the apparatus, illustrating the above-mentioned modification thereof.

In the drawings, a is a railway track and I) an intersecting street or the like where it is desired to signify the approach of a car or train over the railway. The source of current for operating my apparatus in the present instance is afforded by conductors including the feeder 0 and the trolley wire 0?, supported by poles e in the usual manner.

f is a set of lamps and 9 an electric bell. Either or both or any other suitable device may be employed as the signal of the apparatus.

At a suitable distance each side of the crossing formed by the intersection of the track a and road or street 6 are the contacts 1, 2 and 8, and at or near the crossing the contact 4, such contacts being conducting devices of suitable form and arranged in such proximity to the trolley wire ([5 that the intervering space between any of them and the wire will be electrically bridged by the trolley wheel 3 of a passing car.

Fro-m the feeder extends a conductor 71 including a switch A for closing the circuit via this conductor and either of its branches h it to ground. Branches 7t 7t respectively include the cores and windings of magnets B B, normally closed switches C C and the signal f, g and a fuse and snan switch 00.

From the contacts 2 2 extend the branches i z" of a conductor a which includes the magnet D and may be grounded by being connected with branch h. between switch C and m; and from the contacts 1 l extend the branches j y" of a conductor 7' including the magnet D and connected with branch 71 between switch C and 02.

From the contacts 3 3 extend the branches 7t" 7 of a conductor is and from the contact A a conductor Z, the conductors 7a and Z respectively including the magnets E and E and respectively connected with conductor 3', between D and 7t, and with conductor i, between D and h.

The switch A is pivoted and normally hangs pendent out of contact with either of magnets D and B on the one hand, or magnets D and B on the other, it constituting the armature of all these magnets, preferably by arranging the act-ing ends of the cores of each pair (D and B, or D and B) in a radius from the pivot of movement of switch. A. The switches C, C are pivoted and are normally held closed by gravity. These are the preferred conditions for the sake of simplicity and convenience, but they may be varied in many other ways without departure from the invention.

Operation: Assuming the moving parts to be in the position shown in Fig. 2, on the trolley wheel y of a car approaching the crossing from the left bridging left-hand contact- 3 and the trolley wire (Z nothing would occur but the momentary and idle opening of the switch C due to the energizing of magnet E. On left hand contact 2 and the trolley wire being bridged the current will pass through i, 2', D, h to ground, energizing D, which will attract switch A; switch A will then close the circuit between it and B which (the wheel y now having passed beyond 2) will hold A in contact with itself (B), the current passing via 72., C, h and the signal to ground, operating the signal. On the wheel now engaging contact 3 the closing of the circuit containing magnet D (to wit, through 7', D, R, j, 72., w to ground) will be ineffectual to cause said magnet to move switch A, because the latter is already held by magnet B. The wheel 3 now passing on to and closing the circuit between 4 and the trolley wire, so that current flows via Z, E, 2" and h to ground, E is energized, opening switch C and so breaking the signal circuit, disestablishing the signal and de'energizing magnet B, so that the switch falls away to its open position. Right-hand contact 1 is now reached by wheel 3 and the latter bridging the same and the trolley wire the current flows from 1, via j, j, D, h to ground, energizing D, which draws switch A to the left, i. 6., into circuit-closing contact with B so that after z leaves contact Z the current, via h, A, B, h, 0, h to ground, will cause B to hold the switch A from being moved to the right when the circuit is next closed at 2 by the trolley wheel, via 2', i, D, i, h to ground. Finally, right hand contact 3 is reached by the wheel y, the current flowing via la, 76, E, 71 to ground, E momentarily opening switch C and thereby deenergizing B, which results in the apparatus being restored to its normal conditions. It will be obvious that the results are the same when the trolley wheel moves from right to left past the several contacts.

The disposition and relative strengths of the magnets D D B B are such that when B is holding the switch in the signalcircuit-closing position D is powerless to withdraw it therefrom; and when B is holding the switch to the left in Fig. 2 D is powerless to draw it out of the control thereof.

It will thus be seen that in accordance with this invention the vehicle on engagement with one of the devices 2 causes electro-magnetic means including said devices to close the signal-containing circuit; that thereupon means, operated by the vehicle after each closing of said circuit (upon its engagement with the device 4), causes the opening of the said circuit; and that finally other means, operated by the vehicle before its next engagement with one of said. devices 2 (upon its engagement with one of the devices 1) operates to neutralize said eleetromagnetic means.

In Fig. 3 there is shown a construction of magnet in which each pair of magnets D and B and D and B may be com pounded as one, having a common core The wire 71 (or it as the case may be). having the core as its terminal is wound around the same as shown and then proceeds to ground, including in transit the same elements as are shown in Fig. 2; the wire 71 (or j, as the case may be) extends from the contact 2 and, including the same elements as are shown in Fig. 2, is wound around the core, finally proceeding to ground.

Resistances R are placed in the conductors 72. and 7', one between 01 and the point where i joins 72 and the other in j between where j joins it and where it: joins j.

Having thus fully described my invention. what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. In combination, a railway, a vehicle movable thereover and having a circuitcloser, a source of current having a conductor extending along the railway, a. ground ed signal-containing conductor connected with said source and including a magnet and a normally open switch constituting the armature of the magnet and also mcluding a normally closed switch, another grounded conductor containing a magnet having the first switch as its armature and having a pair of contacts in circuit-closerbridging proximity to, and spaced from each other longitudinally of, said sourceconductor, a third grounded conductor also containing a magnet having the second switch as its armature and having a contact between the first two contacts in circuitcloser-bridging proximity to said sourceconductor, and means, operated by said circuit-closer after bridging the last-named contact and said source-conductor, for moving the first-named switch out of the influence of the second-named magnet, substantially as described.

2. In combination, a railway, a vehicle movable thereover and having a circuitcloser, a source of current having a conductor extending along the railway, a grounded signal-containing conductor connected with said source and including a magnet and a normally open switch constituting the armature of the magnet and also including a normally closed switch, another grounded conductor containing a magnet having the first switch as its armature and having a pair of contacts in circuit-closer-bridging proximity to, and spaced from each other longitudinally of, saidsource-conductor, a third grounded conductor also containing a magnet having the second switch as its armature and having a contact between the first two contacts in circuit-closer-bridging proximity to said source-conductor, electromagnetic means, actuated by said circuit closer after bridging the last-named contact and said source-conductor, for neutralizing the second-named magnet, and means, operated by said circuit-closer, for subsequently neutralizing the first-named means, substantially as described.

3. In combination, a railway, a vehicle movable thereover and having a circuit closer, a source of current having a conductor extending along the railway, a grounded signal-containing conductor connected with said source and including a magnet and a normally open switch constituting the armature of the magnet and also including a normally closed switch, another grounded conductor containing a magnet having the first switch as its armature and having a pair of contacts in circuit-closer-bridging proximity to, and spaced from each other longitudinally of, said source-conductor, a third grounded conductor also containing a magnet having the second switch as its armature and having a contact between the first two contacts in circuit-closer-bridging proximity to said source-conductor, another magnet having said first-named switch as its armature and operating thereon reversely to the first-named magnet, another grounded conductor having the core of the last-named magnet as its terminal and containing a normally closed switch, another grounded conductor having a pair of contacts arranged between the first pair of contacts and each side of the contact of the third grounded conductor and in circuit-closer-bridging proximity to said source conductor and also including a magnet having said first-named switch as its armature and operating thereon reversely to the first-named magnet, and another grounded conductor having a pair of contacts arranged both sides of the first pair of contacts and in circuit-closer-bridg ing proximity to said source-conductor and including a magnet having the last-named switch as its armature, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

GEORGE JACKSON, J R.

WVitnesses:

JOHN W. STEWARD, WM. D. BELL.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents. Washington, D. G. 

